Over 20 graduates of the
United States Naval Academy (USNA) have served as members of the
United States Congress as legislators in the
United States Senate or
United States House of Representatives or in their home nation. The Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in
Annapolis,
Maryland, with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the
Navy and
Marine Corps. The Academy is often referred to as Annapolis, while sports media refer to the Academy as "Navy" and the students as "Midshipmen"; this usage is officially endorsed.[1] During the latter half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, the United States Naval Academy was the primary source of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers, with the Class of 1881 being the first to provide officers to the Marine Corps. Graduates of the Academy are also given the option of entering the
United States Army or
United States Air Force. Most Midshipmen are admitted through the
congressional appointment system.[2] The curriculum emphasizes various fields of engineering.[3]
This list is drawn from graduates of the Naval Academy who became members of Congress or its equivalent in their native country. The Academy was founded in 1845 and graduated its first class in 1846. The first alumnus to graduate and go on to become a member of Congress was
John Buchanan Robinson, who graduated from the Class of 1868. As of March 2009, three alumni are members of Congress: Senator
John McCain (class of 1958), Senator
James H. Webb, Jr. (class of 1968), and Representative
Joe Sestak (class of 1974).
Roilo Golez (class of 1970) served as a Congressman in his native country, the
Philippines.
"Class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early. For example, the Class of 1943 actually graduated in 1942.
Admiral; Representative from
Alabama (1907–1915); recipient of the Medal of Honor for attempting to block a channel during the
Spanish–American War, was taken prisoner
Captain; Governor of
Guam (1929–1931); Representative from
California (1947–1949); Medal of Honor recipient for actions during an ammunition explosion on board
USS Pittsburgh (CA-4) in 1917
Representative from California (1937–1947);
World War IMedal of Honor recipient; held as a
prisoner of war onboard a German submarine and in Germany, but escaped
Representative from Tennessee (1965–1973); World War II submariner; second commanding officer of the Navy's first operating nuclear submarine
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
Senator from
Virginia (2006–2013); Marine Corps officer and Vietnam veteran; United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (1984–1987);
Secretary of the Navy (1987–88); noted American novelist for books such as Fields of Fire
^"Sestak, Joe". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Archived from
the original on 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2009-03-04.